Vietnam, Myanmar expand defense relationship

PANO – A Vietnamese high-ranking military delegation, led by General Ngo Xuan Lich, Minister of National Defense, visited Myanmar from October 1 to 3 at the invitation of General of the Army Min Aung Hlaing, Commander-in-Chief of the Myanmar Armed Forces.

At the meeting, President Htin Kyaw welcomed General Lich and the Vietnamese delegation to Myanmar, adding that their visit will further promote the traditional bilateral and friendly relations between the two countries. He also thanked Vietnam for supporting the country and people of Myanmar during their period of reform and national reconciliation over the recent times.

The Myanmar President held the view that his official visit to Vietnam last year left a strong impression on him and he congratulated Vietnam on its achievements during the country’s more than 30 year-construction and defense campaign. Additionally, he spoke highly of Vietnam’s position in the arenas of the region and the world, and believed that the Vietnamese people will continue to achieve even more socio-economic records in the coming times.

The Myanmar President also underlined the importance of the visit to Myanmar by Mr. Nguyen Phu Trong, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, in August 2017, to open a new chapter in the bilateral relations, as the two sides agreed to establish a comprehensive partnership. He held that the visit to Myanmar, after Party General Secretary Trong’s, contributed considerably to boosting the friendship, mutual trust and understanding between the two countries and their militaries for the sake of their peoples.

Having valued highly the Vietnam-Myanmar defense cooperation, President Htin Kyaw pledged to continuously create favorable conditions to further enhance that cooperation in order to make contributions to the bilateral comprehensive partnership.

For his part, General Lich thanked President Htin Kyaw for his sentiment to Vietnam and its people. Holding a brief review of the traditional relations between Vietnam and Myanmar, the Vietnamese general once again emphasized that the bilateral relationship has been cultivated by generations of leaders of the two countries. He also thanked the Myanmar people for their assistance during the national resistance war against foreign invaders as well as the national construction and defense campaign.

In addition, General Lich highly appreciated and offered congratulations to the new Myanmar Government on achievements in fields of national reconciliation, politico-economic reform, and foreign affairs. He believed that under the leadership of President Htin Kyaw and the Government, headed by the National League for Democracy, they would continuously achieve more accomplishments, adding that the Party and State of Vietnam support the Myanmar Government during its on-going democratization and national conciliation progress.

General Lich suggested that President Htin Kyaw continue supporting the bilateral defense cooperation. He sent messages of Vietnam’s Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and State President Tran Dai Quang inquiring after President Htin Kyaw.

Previously, General Min Aung Hlaing hosted a ceremonial reception for General Ngo Xuan Lich and the Vietnamese high-ranking military delegation.

General Hlaing welcomed the Vietnamese guests and affirmed that their visit to Myanmar will contribute to the friendship between the two peoples and militaries for the peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and all over the world as well.

In turn, General Lich thanked General Hlaing for his warm reception and highlighted that Vietnam always attaches importance to relations with ASEAN member countries, and, as such strengthening cooperation with Myanmar is one of the country’s first priorities.

At the talks, both sides informed each other on their political, economic, social and defense-security situations; discussed experiences in building up armed forces; and reviewed their defense cooperation and then pointed out orientations for the bilateral defense cooperative activities in the coming time. General Lich and General Hlaing agreed that their defense cooperation over the past time is one of the pillars in the Vietnam-Myanmar diplomatic relations.

In the following years, in line with the memorandum of understanding on defense cooperation inked in 2010, Vietnam and Myanmar will continuously carry out many productive cooperative activities, such as delegation exchanges, education and training, military medical sector, military business, and sharing experiences in managing border and combating smuggling and other crimes.

During their stay in Myanmar, General Ngo Xuan Lich and the Vietnamese delegation paid tribute to and laid wreaths at the Martyrs' Mausoleum, visited a special force of the Myanmar Military and Mytel company-an affiliate of the Vietnam’s military-run telecom group Viettel in Myanmar, and talked with staff of the Vietnamese Embassy to Myanmar.